Tank Nearly Ready, Order Of Stocking And Quantities

[DBT85]

My tanks maturation has come about rather more quickly that I had expected and will be soon ready to have some inhabitants.

I have decided on a stocking of Cardinal Tetra (minimum 12 probably more over time), Panda Corys, Pearl Gourami (1m 2f for starters) and a plec of some kind.

Should I be looking to put these in in any particular order or can I just go ahead and start buying?

I'm also looking for some plant suggestions in this thread if you would like to contribute.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

My tanks maturation has come about rather more quickly that I had expected and will be soon ready to have some inhabitants.

I have decided on a stocking of Cardinal Tetra (minimum 12 probably more over time), Panda Corys, Pearl Gourami (1m 2f for starters) and a plec of some kind.

Should I be looking to put these in in any particular order or can I just go ahead and start buying?

I'm also looking for some plant suggestions in this thread if you would like to contribute.

Hi DBT85, i've just read with interest your cycle log that you have posted and continually edited/updated.. seems you know what you are doing concerning the cycling process, and a massive for getting some mature media off the good souls on this forum!!
Now, what is normally recommended is a 'Qualifying Week', whereby you continue to dose and test for a further 7 days, proving that your filter can dispose of your ammonia and NitrIte to '0' within 24 hours (it's called the Double '0's), once this is complete then you will be ready for your fish ! Also, at this point i would recommend keeping an eye on your NitrAtes, if they go too high they can and will 'stall' your cycle.
Once again, great effort in choosing the 'right way' of getting your tank ready, can't wait to see pics of your first fish!

Terry.

 

[Tizer]

with the fish you mentioned, there is no real reason to put them in, in any order. But, you have chosen a couple of species, cards and pandas that dont always do so well in brand new tanks but because you have done a fishless cycle, you really want to stock it quite heavy from the word go.

Bristlenose plec would probably be a good choice and a pair would go nice in there (make sure you got some bogwood for them to rasp on)

I would highly recommend that you buy some decent size pandas, not the tiny half inch ones you often see.

Umm, cant think what else to say other than go for it.

 

[Livewire88]

+1 on what Tizer said about adding Cardinals to a new set up, after I finished my fishless cycle I added Cardinals and lost about 10 over the next few months whilst the tank matured.

After that I havent lost one since.

This is just my experiance and im not saying it will also happen to you if you add Cardinals straight away.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

I think i must be one of only a handful of enthusiasts who's Cardinal Tetra have flourished after being the first lot of fish into my tank after a complete fishless cycle..

Terry.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I would replace the Pandas with a more tropical loving catfish like Sterbai, or rethink your whole plan, Pandas are more sub-tropical. Whichever corydoras you decide on, they should be the last fish you add going on your current stocking ideas, to add at least six weeks after the tank has cycled.

 

[DBT85]

I would replace the Pandas with a more tropical loving catfish like Sterbai, or rethink your whole plan, Pandas are more sub-tropical. Whichever corydoras you decide on, they should be the last fish you add going on your current stocking ideas, to add at least six weeks after the tank has cycled.

Hmm...

The stats I grabbed from the seriouslyfish knowledgebase suggested that they would be ok in 24c an that the others would also. Is this inaccurate?


Pearl Gourami 24-30c
Cardinal Tetra 24-29c
Bristlenose Plec 22-27
Panda Cory 22-25c
Adolfo 20-26c
Sterbai 24-30c
Julii 23-26c
Bronze 20-28c

 

[Tizer]

i've kept pandas at 25, they didnt fall over dead, but then im not 100% sure if they enjoyed it.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I would replace the Pandas with a more tropical loving catfish like Sterbai, or rethink your whole plan, Pandas are more sub-tropical. Whichever corydoras you decide on, they should be the last fish you add going on your current stocking ideas, to add at least six weeks after the tank has cycled.

Hmm...

The stats I grabbed from the seriouslyfish knowledgebase suggested that they would be ok in 24c an that the others would also. Is this inaccurate?


Pearl Gourami 24-30c
Cardinal Tetra 24-29c
Bristlenose Plec 22-27
Panda Cory 22-25c
Adolfo 20-26c
Sterbai 24-30c
Julii 23-26c
Bronze 20-28c

Looking broadly at that whole list and the temperatures, they are telling you the temperature at which these fish were found over the course of a year with natural seasons going through the extremes of winter to peak summer. Keeping fish permanently at a temperature they would only naturally experience for a brief period each year in mid summer is going to have a negative effect on them, keeping their metabolic rate in a constant state of hyperactivity and consequently they will not have anything like their expected lifespans.

Taking the above into consideration and forgetting all other factors besides temperature, Pearl Gourami / Cardinal Tetra / Bristlenose Plec / Sterbai / Julii / Bronze all have 24C as either their lowest or at worst midway in the temp range and so work make a reasonable combo (although Bronze do benefit from low 20s at least part of the year).

The one that relly shocked me was C. adolphoi, I've always thought of them as similar temp range to Sterbai, never knew that they were more sub-tropical at 20-26!

 

[DBT85]

Ok, I'll drop the Pandas

Plenty more to choose from though. Might go look again tomorrow.

 

[Ruskull]

Ok, I'll drop the Pandas

Plenty more to choose from though. Might go look again tomorrow.

I just got (3) Julii Corys from Petco and it turns out they're really False Juliis. I like them a lot, not too sure what temp they're supposed to be kept at though.

EDIT: Temp: 70-84ºF or 21-29ºC

It may seem a bit tedious but what I do is figure the average for each fish in the tank, add up then figure the average between all of them & try to keep the tank at that temperature.

Here's a random internet False Julii Cory pic:

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Ok, I'll drop the Pandas

Plenty more to choose from though. Might go look again tomorrow.

I just got (3) Julii Corys from Petco and it turns out they're really False Juliis. I like them a lot, not too sure what temp they're supposed to be kept at though.

EDIT: Temp: 70-84ºF or 21-29ºC

Prepare to be shocked... A seasonal range of 16-25C! Again, another Corydoras I thought of as being tropical rather than very much sub-tropical (just like Peppered).

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/_species.php?species_id=508

 

[Ruskull]

Ok, I'll drop the Pandas

Plenty more to choose from though. Might go look again tomorrow.

I just got (3) Julii Corys from Petco and it turns out they're really False Juliis. I like them a lot, not too sure what temp they're supposed to be kept at though.

EDIT: Temp: 70-84ºF or 21-29ºC

Prepare to be shocked... A seasonal range of 16-25C! Again, another Corydoras I thought of as being tropical rather than very much sub-tropical (just like Peppered).

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/_species.php?species_id=508

Interesting..........I found those temps I posted on another site. That's quite a difference. The average temp of the False Corys is 77ºF or 25ºC according to my source and the average temp for your source is 68.9ºF or 20.5ºC

I mean, that's like night and day! I currently have their 20 gallon home set at 78 degrees and they seem to be doing fine. They live with my Powder Blue Dwarf, 5 Glowlights, 4 Guppies & 21 Molly fry with a sand substrate.

 

[CrustyOnEastCoast]

I would highly recommend that you buy some decent size pandas, not the tiny half inch ones you often see.

I know I am late responding to this thread, and I see that the OP has already decided to forego the pandas.
I agree with the decision. I just had to reply when I saw this comment by Tizer, though. Wish I had seen it .. like in December of last year. I had done exactly what Tizer suggested not to do in stocking my new tank. I bought 6 of the tiny half inch pandas. By the way my water quality has always been perfect (though it was a brand new tank ... fishless cycled). About a month and a half later, only 2 of those pandas are still alive. The other 4 just died suddenly. The last one to go .. seemed to never grow. My 2 juli cories, I have had for quite a while with no
problems. I also had some guppies die .. so I wonder if they got guppy disease and that spread to the pandas .. but not as many ... My bleeding heart tetras and my juli cories have been fine for weeks now.

 

[DBT85]

Ok, on the basis that the Corys and the Cardinals need to be added later...

How many Pearl Gourami can I have in this tank?

What is the maximum sized pleco that I could house and it be happy? I don't want to go any buy something like a Common only to have to sell it on later in it's life.

Can anyone suggest anything else that would be happy with Pearls/Cardinals/Corys/Plecs?